What is the salary and career path for a accounts payable specialist?
Accounts payable specialist is reported within Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (SOC 43-3031), the broad BLS code that houses AP roles; the OEWS May 2025 median is $50,670 a year ($24.36 an hour), from $36,000 at the 10th percentile to $74,550 at the 90th for senior and lead AP roles. BLS projects the code to decline 5.8% over 2024–2034 as accounting software and automation absorb routine data entry, with roughly 170,000 openings a year, almost entirely from replacement. Entry needs a diploma and bookkeeping skills, and AP certification and ERP proficiency lift pay.
- Accounts Payable Specialists earn a national median $50,670/yr ($24.36/hr) (BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031); the top 10% clear $74,550.
- Accounts payable specialist sits within Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks (SOC 43-3031), with a $50,670 median and no degree required to enter.
- BLS projects the code to DECLINE 5.8% through 2034 as accounting software absorbs routine data entry, though its size still yields ~170,000 openings a year, almost all replacement.
- Pay runs from an AP clerk near $36,000 to an AP supervisor at the $74,550 top decile, with AP certification and ERP skills as the main levers.
Career Path
How do you become an accounts payable specialist?
Accounts payable clerk
Entering and matching invoices, an AP clerk starts near the $36,000 10th percentile.
Accounts Payable Specialist
Owning the invoice-to-pay cycle and reconciliations earns around the $50,670 median.
Senior / lead AP specialist
Handling complex vendors, controls and month-end AP pushes pay toward the $61,470 75th percentile.
AP supervisor / manager
Managing the payables team and process reaches the $74,550 90th percentile.
BLS Salary Data
Which state pays accounts payable specialists the most in 2026?
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031. National median: $50,670. Full salary guide →
Pay Comparison
How does accounts payable specialist pay compare to related roles?
Head-to-head against the roles accounts payable specialists most often weigh against. BLS OEWS May 2025 medians.
Takeaway: accounts payable specialists rank 4 of 4 on median pay among the comparable roles above, with a projected −5.8% employment change 2024–34 (BLS Employment Projections). Pay position and projected demand together are what determine how quickly accounts payable specialists clear offers across the GlobalCybers placement network.
Methodology & Sources
How this guide is sourced and reviewed
Wages (BLS): All median and percentile figures are BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031 (accounts payable specialists) and the matching SOC codes for each comparison role. OEWS is sampled on a rolling 3-year basis and published ~10 months after collection, so treat it as a firm anchor rather than a spot rate.
Job growth: Projected 2024–34 employment change, and the average annual openings figure, are from the BLS Employment Projections program, by occupation. Openings are a per-year average over the projection decade, not a decade total.
Licensing & credentials:Requirements are drawn from the issuing state licensing boards and the certifying body behind each credential — not from third-party aggregators.
Demand signal:Any statement about how quickly this role clears offers reflects GlobalCybers placement request volume across the trailing 12 months — our own network data, offered as a directional real-world indicator alongside BLS, not a market-wide survey.
Credentials
What licences and certifications do accounts payable specialists need?
The minimum entry credential, paired with on-the-job AP training. See all state licences →
An AP-focused credential (such as IOFM's Accredited Payables Specialist) validating payables knowledge.
A bookkeeping credential such as the NACPB or AIPB certification that strengthens accounting fundamentals.
Demonstrated command of ERP payables modules and invoice-automation tools.
Tools & Software
What tools and software do accounts payable specialists use on the job?
⚙️ Core Tools & Equipment
📊 BLS Employment Data, SOC 43-3031
Salary Levers
How do accounts payable specialists earn above the $50,670 BLS median?
AP certification and ERP skills
AP credentials and ERP proficiency move pay off the $36,000 entry band toward the median.
Full-cycle and controls scope
Owning three-way matching, controls and month-end AP lifts pay toward the $61,470 upper band.
Advancement to AP supervisor
Managing the payables team pushes pay toward the $74,550 top decile.
This Route vs. College
Is becoming an accounts payable specialist worth it vs. a 4-year degree?
The entry route into this role, set against a four-year degree. Same starting line, side by side.
Entry-level (10th percentile) and all-level median wages: BLS OEWS May 2025, SOC 43-3031. Student-debt figure: median federal borrower balance for bachelor's-degree completers. Starting-salary comparison is illustrative and varies by field and region.
FAQ
Accounts Payable Specialist Career, Frequently Asked Questions
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